“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is the power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Viktor Frankl

Photo of Pleasanton Ridge courtesy of Raj Hajela

Mindfulness-based classes, small groups, and more, in the central East Bay

Are you curious to learn more about mindfulness?

Wondering what the fuss is about, but skeptical of the hype?

Looking to take a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class, but haven’t been able to find one nearby?

Have you taken a class, but find it hard to continue a regular meditation practice on your own?

Mindfulness East Bay is here to help! Its mission is to make mindfulness classes, workshops and groups readily available to people who live and work in the central East Bay communities of Castro Valley, Dublin, Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton, San Leandro, and San Ramon, and to serve as a central clearinghouse for information, tips, and tools about how to make mindfulness an integral part of your life.

There are many ways people define mindfulness. One of the best definitions is from Jon Kabat-Zinn, author and founder of the well-known Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program:

Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.

Mindfulness teaches us how to find the space between stimulus and response, that is, to become less reactive and more self-aware – which leads to a calmer presence, more spaciousness in the mind, more ease of being in the world, as well as better problem-solving, improved relationships, less disease, and greater happiness.

By the way, Viktor Frankl (1905-1997), author of our quote about stimulus and response, was an Austrian psychiatrist whose experience as a concentration camp inmate, described in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, led him to observe that the freedom to choose our response is one thing that can’t be taken from us.

Mindfulness East Bay offers classes, groups, and individual instruction in various central East Bay locations. We are also available to bring mindfulness instruction to you: at your workplace, gym, yoga studio, school, church, or community center. Whether for a one-time lunch-hour talk, a four- to eight-week class series, or a program tailored just for your group or organization, we would like to make it easier for you to experience the benefits of having a regular mindfulness practice.

Rebecca Stanwyck, LCSW
510-881-2540
mindfulnesseastbay@gmail.com

Interested in a mindfulness class, small group, or individual instruction?

Get in touch to find out how Mindfulness East Bay can enhance your life.